To help contain the pandemic, most countries have opted for partial or total lockdown of the population and schools were often the first to close. Although schools are doing their best to support children while they are at home, teachers do struggle to guarantee proper follow-ups. As a result, parents are forced to become, somewhat unwillingly teachers.
Whether they ended up in “forced” telework or are no longer active, the Coronavirus crisis has certainly disrupted the routine of parents with young people to monitor and guide on a daily basis. The temptation would undoubtedly be too strong for some to spend the whole day playing video games and watching the countless Choreography Challenges offered by TikTok. This is why, the educational experts from Axiom Academic, an educational support organization for expatriate families, have prepared a list of the best ways to stimulate the mind and motivation of the children in order to stay happy and sane during this period of confinement .
Talk to the kids about COVID-19 crisis
One of the first things to do, if you have not already done so, is to explain to the children why the schools are closed and why containment is so important. Without causing panic, it is essential to let them know that the situation is serious.
Remember that with the internet, social media and chatting with friends via messaging apps, you never know what information about the COVID-19, possibly totally false and alarmist, your kids could have read. This is the reason why it is strongly recommended to take stock of the situation regularly, once a week for example.
Explaining in a factual way, in language adapted to their age, what this virus is, what is its impact on children's health and how its spread spreads will reassure them and prove that you are doing everything to keep them safe. safe and healthy.
Visit educational content sites
There are many educational websites that offer excellent educational resources. Some educational sites have even made their resources available free of charge during this period.
Travel the world from the comfort of home (and take the opportunity to revise history, geography and cooking lessons).
So you're stuck at home. But with the internet and a little imagination, why not continue to travel around the world to discover more and more countries and cultures. To keep your children curious and open, the experts at Axiom Academic recommend “virtual tourism”.
“Even without traveling, you can still learn more about different countries and cultures. To start this virtual world tour, ask your children to design their own passport. Then choose together the countries you are going to visit and decide on a route. Each week corresponds to a new country to discover. For this, you can watch reports and videos on YouTube, consult encyclopedias and at the end of the week why not try to cook a recipe from this country. For example, if Germany is on your travel itinerary, try making pretzels! ” offers Constantin, one of the founders of Axiom Academic.
Organize family reading sessions
We know that children imitate adults and therefore they imitate you! If you start your day on your smartphone, spend the afternoon in front of your MacBook and all your evenings in front of NetFlix, they will certainly want to do the same on Snapchat, Twitch, Instagram or TikTok. Take advantage of this confinement to set a good example. After the day spent in front of the screens, because it is inevitable, and once the dinner is finished and the table cleared, why not organize, once a week, a family reading evening, without a screen - exit the e-Book and Kindle - instead of the traditional “TV night”.
Get help from volunteers
It is difficult to keep the youngest ones busy when they can't go out to romp, but, fortunately, many solidarity initiatives have sprung up in recent weeks. Solutions that have grown in the blink of an eye and which meet the needs of some overwhelmed parents such as homework help.
To help these parents in difficulty, SOS Parents Confinés offers a free solution, because it is provided by volunteers, to keep the children at home once the “home school” is over. On the program, homework help, tutoring, fun activities such as origami, drawings, stitching, photography, story reading, and all other activities that can be done online to keep children from kindergarten to high school busy.
The principle is extremely simple:
- volunteers publish an announcement specifying the activities they wish to offer as well as their contact details.
- parents access the list of announcements on a Telegram channel and contact the volunteers of their choice directly.
Parents wishing to be free for a few hours a week can contact SOS Parents Confinés for free and access a list of announcements in just a few clicks. You will need to install the Telegram messaging app beforehand.
In addition, if you feel charitable, in favor of an otherwise vital cause that is at least useful and social, let yourself be tempted by a surge of support, become a volunteer now and publish your ad!
